In many vehicles of different types it is becoming increasingly common to have automatic control of various functions in the vehicle. Examples of functions that are controlled by automation are the drive line, in other words the whole sequence from the chemical conversion of the fuel to propulsive force for one or several wheels, the braking system, the air-conditioning system, the maintenance system, and the chassis control system. Many other functions can nowadays also be controlled by automation.
Automatic control of the various functions makes the task of the driver easier, but there is always a possibility that automatic control of functions can lead to incorrect measures being taken, for example changing to a higher or lower gear than what is actually required, or connection/disconnection of a function. The fact that the automation carries out incorrect measures or connects/disconnects functions when this has not been required, is of course not desirable, as among other things it can lead to non-optimal operation of the vehicle and, last but not least, frustration in the driver due to the fact that the automation is not carrying out its tasks properly.
The frustration in the driver can been increased by the fact that lorries, for example, are often driven on one and the same route, which means that the driver learns to recognize the places where the automation tends to make mistakes.